Bloggeron

The old cliche is that mobile homes are destroyed by tornadoes. While that may certainly happen frequently enough, it is not the only way that your mobile home may become damaged. Water damage may strike your mobile home and because of its very design, there may be other issues (flood damage) to consider if it does.

Where your mobile home is located, and how much water is involved will be a consideration to how much damage has occured and will be and how expensive the water damage restoration project will be to restore your home. The first thing that you need to consider is whether there are structural damages to your foundation. If your mobile home is set on a permanent foundation, make sure that it is not cracked. If your home is not permanently affixed, say for instance on blocks, you might need to have your home re-leveled or even re-blocked. In some cases, there is enough land slippage that fill dirt will need to be brought in to reestablish level and safe ground. Do not attempt to enter your mobile home for any reason before the safety of its foundation is established.

Once your mobile home is secured and is once again level, you can go inside and see how much water damage restoration is needed onthe interior. Mobile home walls are often constructed of drywall covered in faux paneling, or paper to look that way, so be especially vigilant for mold growth and decaying walls as these usually manifest the early stages of flood damage. Do not just assume that the damage will be at the exact water level- the water could have seeped up as far as several feet above what is showing as the water line. Start checking at that level and continue checking all the way down to the floor. Any crumbling, moist or obviously molded drywall must be cut out and replaced as quickly as possible. The longer that you let this problem go unchecked, the more likely the problem will grow out of hand. Once mold is found in one place, you will likely find it in several others as well.

If your floors are still the standard pre-fab mobile home grade, there might be some problem with buckling, warping or other signs of flood damage that must be taken cared of before you can install new carpeting or lay new flooring. If you try to save your carpeting, make sure that not only the top, but the backing, and padding are dry as well. Any hint of dampness that remains may cause a musty odor, mold or mildew.

Some mobile homes (older models, usually) have a unique hook up for the electricity. Although there are probably not many of them around, some receive power through a “pig tail” which is essentially a large plug that hooks the electric pole to the mobile home with the basic concept of plugging in a lamp. In the case of these hook ups, an electrician should have a look at both the plug and the receptacle both to insure that neither sustained flood damage. In the case of mobile homes, electrical safety is of particular importance. It is alarming, but mobile homes burn much faster than regular homes do.